A Promise Kept
by Gemini5
Summary: After some serious contemplation and a little stargazing Logan decides it's time to make good on his promise. Sequel to The Pain of Knowing


Author's Notes: Well you asked for it so here it is! I can't believe that I actually got feedback, I am eternally grateful to all of you who reviewed!!! When I take over the world you are getting mucho benefits :)  
Disclaimer: Well they haven't taken my cat yet, so that's a good sign :) So once again I would just like to say that they're MINE, ALL MINE! ;-)  
Rating: PG  
Summary: After some serious contemplation and a little stargazing, Logan decides it's time to make good on his promise. A sequel to The Pain of Knowing (Movieverse)  
  
  
A Promise Kept  
By Gemini   
  
They stood there face to face in the dark. Neither one daring to break the silence that held this moment in its magic. The distance between them was mere feet, and yet it seemed so much more. A pale sliver of moonlight flitted through the window and illuminated her pale skin. Her white streaks shone like beacons in the night, softly calling to him. Finally, she broke the spell and sauntered towards him, her hips swaying gently. He could smell her hesitation and desire mingling together. The scent was like a drug to his system. He found himself mesmerized by her dark eyes. Ancient eyes. She pressed herself against him tightly so he could feel every line and curve of her body. Her lips descended on him, oh so beautiful and oh so deadly.   
  
For a moment of utter horror and pure ecstasy he thought she would kiss him. He would have let her. We would have willing allowed the exchange for the sweet agony of her lips. All of him for her. At the last moment though, she changed course and brought her mouth tantalizingly close to his ear. For a brief moment he felt disappointment, but then her warm breath fell on his face and all was forgotten. The animal in him screamed that he should take her. To mark her as his now and forever. The human in him held back. He knew what was coming next. Knew it, like a man realizing at the last moment the two cars would collide, and being powerless to stop it. Her breath tickled his ear again, this time forming words. Soft and low, she said the one thing he dreaded to hear: "I know."  
  
Logan's eyes snapped open. His shallow breath seemed abnormally loud and harsh in the silence of the night. He had been dreaming of Marie. Again. It seemed to be happening more and more recently. He had been gone several months, and he knew his pretense for leaving wouldn't hold out forever. It was a good excuse, but an excuse nonetheless. Besides, he had gone to the abandoned base and found all there was to find. Most things had been cleared out, but there had been several papers left behind speaking of a project called Weapon X. Apparently it was an endeavor to create the ultimate killing machine for battle. How they would achieve it was, of course, through experimentation. While the documents did not list them specifically, Logan knew they were terrible unspeakable crimes. His nightmares were all the proof he needed. He tried to find any other clues that might tell him something about that man he had been. From the building's condition he could tell it was old, but none of the papers were dated, so his true age remained unknown. In all the documents he was referred to only as "test subject Wolverine," as if he didn't even deserve the honor of a real name. Fifteen years ago he had woken up naked in the forest, except for mysterious dogtags that said Wolverine. He could remember only one name. A first name, a last name, the name of his dog, he couldn't be sure, but it was the only thing that seemed fitting. And so he became Logan, the ageless mystery man with the adamantium claws.  
  
From that time on he had been a man of steel, both literally and figuratively. At least until Marie came along. He hadn't known why he stopped the truck and let her in. He hadn't known why he suddenly found himself protective and even gentle with the girl. He hadn't known why, until he stood atop the statue of liberty cradling her lifeless body in his arms and praying that somehow she would come back to him. Then he realized that somewhere along the way he had fallen in love with this girl, and that he would gladly die if it meant that she would survive. Then the pull started and he felt no more for a long time.   
  
When he awoke this time, Logan spoke to Jean. She was as beautiful as ever, but something was missing. Her words didn't ring with a soft southern lilt. Her eyes weren't wide and scared. She didn't wear long satin gloves. She wasn't Marie. He got a quick update on everything that had happened. Jean proceeded to tell him that Marie was "taken with him." For a moment Logan felt panic rise within him. It was bad enough when he thought it was one-sided, but to know that Marie might reciprocate his feelings flat out terrified him. Finally he lied and said that his heart belonged to someone else. He quickly changed the subject before Jean could ask any more questions. He was relieved that the Professor gave him a location where he could start searching for his past. Logan needed time to work through things, and this was the perfect opportunity to do just that. Like he had many times before, Logan prepared to run from his problems. There was only one thing he was hoping to avoid, saying goodbye to Marie.   
  
His love for her proved his downfall. Despite not wanting to say goodbye, he couldn't leave without seeing her once more. He looked in on her playing a game with some of the other students. When he saw how happy she was, actually smiling and laughing, he knew she would be okay while he was gone. He turned to go, but then she saw him and came over. She knew the answer to the question before she asked, of course he was running again. He looked into her eyes and could tell that she knew his secret. When she had absorbed him on top of the statue she had gotten everything, his healing factor, his temper, his love of cigars, and his thoughts. Most importantly his thoughts. And when things finally quieted down in her mind comprehension set in. She told him bluntly that she didn't want him to go. He took off his dogtags and placed them in her hand, using a gesture to tell her what his words could not. He promised he would be back for them. They both knew that it meant he would be back for her. She gave him a brave smile, and he forced his legs to walk away, even as his heart told him to go back.  
  
Suddenly the room seemed too small for Logan. He jumped out of bed and threw some clothes on. Logan was not usually a deep thinker, he relied heavily on his instincts. All this thinking was giving him a headache. He quickly decided that a walk in the woods would help. He grabbed his jacket and headed out. The night air was cool and crisp. There was a large wooded area behind the sleazy motel he was staying at, and he headed straight for it. It was impossible to tell how long he walked, but eventually he came to a circular clearing. The giant trees raised their arms to the heavens in silent supplication. Logan too, found himself looking up at the stars. His eyes were drawn to two stars in particular. One was incredibly big and shone with a profound intensity. The other was small and pale, like a delicate piece of china. Both were beautiful and both were alone, save each other.  
  
For some inexplicable reason tears sprung to Logan's eyes. He was glad that he was alone in the middle of the woods. Had there been witnesses, he would have been forced to gut them. He wondered what Marie was doing at that moment, what she was thinking. Was it possible that she had seen those very same stars and thought of them? Logan played with the idea and somehow it seemed to make perfect sense. Those were *their* stars, just as surely as their destinies were intertwined. Logan walked back to the motel with a new vigor in his step. He packed his things quickly and threw some money down on the counter. He walked out without looking back. He had made a promise to a girl, and that promise would be kept. They say home is where the heart is. Logan was finally ready to accept Marie as his humanity, his salvation, his love, and his heart. And maybe, just maybe, they would find a home. Together.   



End file.
